1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus whose expiration date has been set, and a control method therefor. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a control method therefor featuring setting and releasing techniques of an expiration date.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there are an application and an information device (an information processing apparatus) that are limited in an expiration period or a function, such as a trial version application.
Japanese laid-open patent publication (Kokai) No. 2003-303248 (JP2003-303248A) discloses a technique of releasing a limitation of a period or a function in an application and an information device that are provided with the above-mentioned mechanism by inputting an authorized license key, for example.
Japanese laid-open patent publication (Kokai) No. 2004-110779 (JP2004-110779A) discloses a technique of incorporating a new external application and of operating the external application when inputting a license key, in a multifunctional apparatus that includes functions of respective apparatuses such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and a scanner in a single body.
Japanese laid-open patent publication (Kokai) No. 2001-357123 (JP 2001-357123A) discloses a technique of connecting a leased printer device to a management server via the Internet and of sending information about operating conditions from the printer device to the management server at predetermined intervals. The management server manages the information about expiration date, and transmits a use stop signal to the printer device whose expiration date expires to stop a future use of the printer device.
The above-described conventional techniques of releasing a limitation of a period or a function, which include the technique of releasing a limitation by inputting a license key as described above, statically define a releasing procedure in an application or an information device beforehand.
Therefore, even if a user or a manager wants to change a releasing procedure according to an operating condition of a device (for example, when the user wants to disable a license key that came to hand in an unauthorized route), or even if the user or the manager wants to change a releasing procedure according to a utilizing environment of a device (for example, when the user wants to limit a releasing person in association with personal authentication), there has been a problem of lack of freedom to change the releasing procedure.
A multifunctional apparatus in recent years can accumulate electronic filing documents and can hold personal information such as destination address data and user authentication data.
When a user returns a multifunctional apparatus after an expiration date in a rental contract etc., it is necessary not only to stop use of an application, but also to delete electrical documents and personal information stored in the multifunctional apparatus certainly in order to prevent a leakage of such information.
However, since an operation to delete personal information etc. must be usually performed by a person such as a user or a manager of the multifunctional apparatus, there is a security problem of forgetting to delete the personal information, etc.